What started out as a donation of two loads of straw from Manitou area farmer Nancy Howatt, turned into a total of 11 loads of 30 bales each, plus more – all to be auctioned off with proceeds going to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFB) Haitian Relief Fund.

For the past three years Howatt of Sunset Ridge Angus in Manitou, Man., donated a steer calf from her stock to be auctioned off at Killarney Auction Mart each fall with proceeds going to CFB.

However, due to the dry summer conditions and lack of straw, Howatt thought donating feed straw would be a better donation to the cause.  It didn’t take long when her neighbours joined in on the giving and a total of eleven bales of straw were donated, pus 100 ton of corn silage (donated by Gilbraith Farm Services), and a transport trucking voucher valued at $1,000 (donated by Faux Farms Ltd) added to the auction docket.

Killarney Auction’s Allan Munroe was very pleased with how the sale evolved over a short time.  “At the start, I was planning on two loads of oat straw and then it just ballooned from there.  Nancy got talking to some people and let them know what she was doing, and the donations just kept on coming in and it turned out to be far bigger than we were originally anticipating!”

Munroe also noted the strong support from the buyers.  “With all the restrictions - and the bales aren’t actually here - there was no reason to make people drive all the way here to bid, so we added the online bidding option and I’m glad that we did because we had buyers from Manitou to St. Claude and all over that part of the world, so I think it was very successful.”

Munroe received confirmation that all donations from the auction going to the Haitian Relief Fund would be matched dollar-for-dollar from the Federal Government.  “So, that’s an incredible fundraiser today!”

“Thanks to everyone who donated and thanks to everyone who bid,” adds Munroe.  “It’s been a pleasure and we look forward to doing more of these sorts of things in the future.”

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Written by Betty Sawatzky